Brockerhoff Mill · National Register of Historic Places
Benner Township’s story
168 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 maps from 1908 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1858Benner Township is settled
Benner TownshipPA
A town of 8,995, settled in 1858.
6 bordering townsMap →
Brockerhoff Mill · Photo: Pubdog · Public domain
Population
8,995
2025 Census estimate · −0% since 2020
Median home value
$334K
Census ACS
Household income
$101K
median
Median age
43.2
years
Jobs based here
3,839
A job hub
TownGrade
B+
#461 of 1032 in PA
What should you know before moving to Benner Township?
Benner Township's standout: natural-hazard risk is low. Overall it grades B+, 461st of 1032 graded towns in Pennsylvania. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $101K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $334K, 4.5 years of the State College metro’s $74K median household income. 10% of residents are under 18 in Benner Township, against 20% in Pennsylvania’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. State Game Lands Number 333, at 1,212 acres with 19.9 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Benner Township stand out
Where Benner Township beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA+
Lower risk than 99% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Bellefonte Area SD schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Benner El Sch | K–5 | 252 |
SchoolsB+
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
4 better21 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | Benner Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.5% | 14.5% |
HealthB+
Healthier than 71% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
A growing town
Benner Township has grown 45% since 2010
6,188 counted in 2010 and 8,964 in 2020; an estimated 8,995 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 44.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Benner Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Pennsylvania), ordered by how far Benner Township is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.4 of 20; 2% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Jobs & incomeB+Open →SchoolsB+Open →HealthMount Nittany Medical Center 6.4 miles awayB+Open →Cost of livingC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors14% conserved landBOpen →History1 place on the National RegisterC+Open →Civic life3.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Benner Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Benner Township, and how to reach them.
PowerWest Penn PowerEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterState Corr Inst Benner Twp water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers92% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offCentre County Recycling & Refuse Authority, 2 miOpenStreetMap
Register to voteOnlineIn Pennsylvania you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person until 15 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCentre County Board of ElectionsCentre County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2025
ZIP codes16823, 16803, 1680116823 95% · 16803 3% · 16801 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Benner Township.
Benner Township draws workers from Spring Township and beyond and owes part of its health edge to its incomes.
OutdoorsB
Conserved land covers 13.7% of Benner Township
41 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The trail density in Benner Township is 1.4 miles per square mile.
#134for trails in PA
13.7%
conserved · 2,475 of 18,094 acres
41 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. State Game Lands Number 333 | 19.9 mi | 1,212 |
| 2. Buffalo Run Community Park | 0.4 mi | 26 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB+
On state tests, Benner Township’s schools beat 73% of Pennsylvania districts
Its public schools are run by Bellefonte Area SD. Its one school is below.
73%of PA districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benner El SchLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 252 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within PA on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Most working residents commute out of Benner Township
3,839 jobs are based in Benner Township, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 2,477 in 2013 to 3,839.
Most working residents leave Benner Township for work: only 5% work in town. Jobs based in Benner Township grew to 3,839 in 2023, 1,362 more than in 2013. 4.2% of residents live below the poverty line in Benner Township.
5%work in town
| Benner Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $101,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.2% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 16% | 12% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Benner Township5%
College Township21%
State College8%
Ferguson Township7%
Bellefonte5%
8 mi
median commute distance
3,839
jobs based in Benner Township
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 16% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A+
Benner Township stands out in Pennsylvania and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower
Benner Township’s FEMA risk score is 1 of 100. Since 1979, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Benner Township.
1risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingLightning
6
paid flood claims since 1979
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB+
On CDC estimates, Benner Township is healthier than 70% of U.S. towns
Against the 8,402 U.S. towns with household incomes like Benner Township’s, it is healthier than 56%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Benner Township beats the Pennsylvania average on 4 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 21% of Benner Township adults binge drink.
71%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Benner Township | Pennsylvania towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Pennsylvania
4 better21 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Benner Township | PA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 10.5% | 14.5% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.6% | 11.6% |
| More uninsured adults | 7.6% | 5.8% |
Mount Nittany Medical Center
6.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: dental
69th
percentile among PA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
In Benner Township, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Benner Township has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 20° and about 44 inches of snow falls in a winter.
44″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–38°
Spring37–60°
Summer59–81°
Fall42–62°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 20
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Nearby attractions
All 24 attractions →Beaver Stadium and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Benner Township. Close and well known come first.
Big draw5 mi Stadium & arenaBeaver Stadium
5 mi Stadium & arenaBryce Jordan Center
32 mi LakeRaystown Lake
6 mi MuseumPalmer Museum of Art
39 mi MuseumRailroaders Memorial Museum30 mi Theme parkDelGrosso's Amusement ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Beaver Stadium: Sbvr6 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Bryce Jordan Center: Robert J. La Verghetta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Raystown Lake: Tex Jobe, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Palmer Museum of Art: PalmerMuseumofArt, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Railroaders Memorial Museum: Mark Frederick, CC0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Benner Township
18pages on Benner Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Benner Township
Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and TechnologyCommunity college · Public · Pleasant Gap4 miPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · University Park5.6 mi$20,644 in-state tuitionPennsylvania State University-World CampusUniversity or college · Public · University Park5.6 mi$15,356 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Benner Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.
A job hub
Every workday, about 3,710 people come to Benner Township for work
Where Benner Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
3,839jobs based in Benner Township
5%of working residents work in town
8 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Benner Township’s neighbors
6 towns share a border with Benner Township.
Union TownshipSpring TownshipPotter TownshipCollege TownshipPatton TownshipHarris TownshipBenner Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | PA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benner Township | #461 | B+ | C+ | — | B+ | B+ |
| Union Township | — | — | B | — | B+ | B− |
| Spring Township | #187 | A | C | A+ | B+ | B+ |
| Potter Township | #523 | B | C+ | — | A− | B+ |
| College Township | #161 | A | C− | — | A | A− |
| Patton Township | #178 | A | D | B+ | A | A |
| Harris Township | #305 | A− | D | — | A | A |
Union Township has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Benner Township, Union Township, Potter Township, College Township and Harris Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Benner Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Benner Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Benner Township, PA a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Benner Township grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns and #461 of 1032 in Pennsylvania. It grades B+ for health and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Benner Township, PA expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.